I always found an excuse
so I didn't have to deal with what I didn't like
It's quite meaningless, isn't it?
No matter what kind of master they are
they didn't become masters just in one day
Embrace the ideal image in the heart
Without saying meaningless things
Without looking aside
But if I feel like bursting into tears, giving it up
and losing to my own weakness
I put myself in a bird cage
and push it into the valley
For those who believe in me more than anyone else and for my belief
I can be strong
I just have to stick to it
Those three are pretty good.
Koga's kicks.
Ukita's throwing moves.
And...
Takeda's punches.
I guess Kenichi is no match against them...
Damn, it just started getting interesting...
Hmm?
The delinquent group. Ragnarok, huh?
They're just the new emerging power, but I guess the future belongs to them.
Good, good! Seems like they're doing just fine today!
Izumi-san?
You just seem so lively when you come to the gardening club.
What? Of course!
This is the only place where I can feel safe and be at peace!
This is just like a paradise!
You don't have to get so worked up about it...
Because... Because I'm being targeted by the delinquent group whether
I'm at school or outside the school.
On top of that I've been spending my days, going through
hellish training at Ryozanpaku...
I bet that I'm much better than you in a fight!
You're evil!
Apa!
But, good things happen every now and then, too!
There! There! There!
More! More!
That's why I just can't quit!
You know what, Shirahama-kun?
What?
I've heard rumors about you being the strongest and meanest
delinquent in the school.
But you're normally a mild-mannered person,
who likes gardening and has an alien friend.
You really are interesting.
But I think I already told you before that the devil,
who's wearing an alien mask is not my friend at all...
What's the matter?
No... I thought I just sensed an evil aura,
but I guess that was just my imagination.
I'll tell you this at least, Kenichi.
All the guys you've defeated so far are less than small flies.
Compared to these three guys of Ragnarok...
"Shirahama's Plant" Hmm...
"Shirahama's Plant" Has your "Snowman King" grown any bigger?
No, I've been taking care of it because I like its name,
but it hasn't grown at all...
All the other ones have gotten big though...
Should we try to use different bog moss?
I guess some are slow-growing ones, even in the plant world, huh?
- What? - No, I meant that they're
really trying hard.
It's not like I'm slacking off! Please don't say that I have no talent!
No.
Apachai-san! It's still too early for me to learn a technique like that!
H-Hello?
S-Sorry! I was just relating to what this plant must be feeling...
You must really like this orchid.
Maybe I can relate to that plant as well.
I mean, I am kind of slow, you know.
No matter what I do, other people seem to do it better.
What? Really? That's unexpected.
But maybe there are those that will never amount to much
no matter how much you attend to them.
Not good! Not good!
If you stick out your shoulder that much,
your opponent will grab it and throw you!
And always keep your crotch guarded by keeping your thighs closed!
Hmm... Something's just not right.
There! There! There!
- You moron! - There! There!
- Don't just do it in any kind of way! - There! There!
Listen. Use your guard fist to cover yourself and think of the striking fist
and guard fists as being connected by a string. Like this!
- See? - I can't do that!
First of all, what's up with these insane muscles?
Do you call these arms for real?
- Sakaki-san! - This is the same size as my waist!
- Stop breaking stuff everywhere! - This is the same size as my waist!
Punching isn't just about using your muscles. Hey, Miu!
Were you even listening to me?
Oh, boy...
As far as arm muscle strength goes, Miu is actually weaker than you. But...
How many hits did you just see?
Th-That was incredible! That was three.
In just a second, Miu-san...
Idiot! That was six!
What?
Thank for your attention.
In karate, there is the "Nahate," which emphasizes muscle strength
and shifting one's weight to strike, and there's the "Shurite,"
which emphasizes the speed of the fists when striking.
You must be able to manipulate both in order to master karate,
but you should first learn the "Shurite."
Now, in order to make those punches fly faster,
I'll show you some Chinese style training methods.
You stay out of it! I'm the one who's training him right now!
But, look! It's my turn now!
Damn! It's already that time?
You're not good at teaching.
You have to think about how to divide your time, too.
All right, Miu, you come over here.
I don't want to! Because you always do nasty things to me!
I don't feel like doing this anymore...
Please take this more seriously!
Now, hold your arms up like this.
Huh? L-Like this?
Next, you switch your shoulders,
then swing your arms from down low to high up.
You relax your arms completely and swing them freely.
You alternate those arms as you walk.
- That's right. - Okay...
It should feel like your joints are stretching
and your arms feel like they'll fly off.
Um, how am I supposed to defeat an opponent by doing something like this?
What makes you think you can defeat anyone with that?
What? Then why are you teaching me stuff like that?
Take it easy, take it easy. There's an order to everything you do.
Anyway, keep doing that as you make a circuit.
What? You mean, around the garden?
Around the neighborhood!
Seriously?
Try to swing your hip, not your arms.
No cheating! Good luck to you!
I wonder what he's doing... Strange...
This is rather more embarrassing than tough...
Miu-san!
You're not very familiar with this neighborhood, are you?
You might end up getting lost, so I'll come with you.
Do you have any idea what this is for?
You're practicing how to loosen up your muscle.
"How to loosen up your muscle"?
When you swing your arm in one direction as hard as you can,
you can't help but put strength in the other direction as well.
That's because there's a limit designed to protect your joints.
You could say that there is a sort of psychological limit.
So, this is a way to break through that limit?
Right. So it's important to imagine
as best you can your arms flinging ever further away.
In theory, as you make these large swings smaller,
they gradually turn into striking moves.
Is that true?
You look like you're having some fun, Kenichi Shirahama-kun!
Huh?
I sure am lucky! To run into you at a place like this!
If I remember correctly,
he's the one from that gang group called Ragnarok or something...
He must be one of the three guys from that time!
I am Taichi Koga. Will you come with me for a second?
Takeda-san asked me to bring you to him.
Oh!
The girl with a big forehead back there! You've got big boobs!
You really make me jealous, Shirahama-kun.
You sure have a cute girlfriend.
I'm not his girlfriend! We're just friends!
She denied it emphatically...
Besides... Besides they're not big!
Takeda-san just asked me to bring you, but...
I have decided something, Shirahama-kun.
I'm going to beat you up and make her my girlfriend!
What the hell is his problem?
Don't just decide stuff like that!
And I'll deliver you to Takeda-san in the form of a rag doll!
We're surrounded!
Aww, this is not good.
There are nine of them!
Yeah, Miu-san is with me,
but there are this many and they're all carrying weapons!
We both are going to be beaten up pretty badly...
All right. Now you can't escape.
I was wondering what all this commotion was about over here.
Yo, Kenichi!
Nice atmosphere, isn't it?
Sakaki-sensei!
Lucky you. Seems like you guys are having fun.
Thank goodness!
He called me a big forehead!
Who the hell are you? Die!
Whoa! What the...
He struck him down just by glaring at him!
Kenichi!
Y-Yes!
This guy is not a human! I knew it!
Keep your legs together.
That's the proper striking pose.
Yeah. Good.
Apachai was looking for you. You'd better go back soon.
What?
H-Hey, wait!
Y-You're leaving?
Sensei, help me!
Die!
Kenichi-san!
Don't you move.
Koga-san is scary. He'll kill you if you interrupt.
Anyway, you're really cute, you know that?
Oops, my hand slipped.
You're going to regret this!
Crap! After Sakaki-sensei told me so many times how important it is
to make the first blow!
I can't believe I got hit while not paying attention!
I need to somehow land a hit, too!
Take that! Huh?
How about this?
Yamazuki!
I am Taichi Koga of the kicks! Haven't you heard of me?
Shirahama-kun, you move too slowly!
I can't land my punches!
You're weak! It must've been a fluke that you beat Tsukuba!
The Ragnarok doesn't need anyone as weak as you!
Wait a minute!
Wh-What is it?
What the heck is that?
Let's see... Relax my arms and swing my hip...
Move my arms like they're about to be pulled out of their joints...
And when I make the swings smaller...
I don't understand what the hell you're doing!
They become sharp and fast thrusts!
Damn it! It only brushed against his chin!
Heh! You missed!
Huh?
I fell down!
Crap... Did it shake my brain when it touched my chin?
Guys, get him! Kill this guy!
Huh!
Oh, no... I forgot to leave some for Kenichi-san.
Sh-She's a monster!
What?
Help me!
He called me a "monster"!
I think he meant "fairy." Because you were moving so gracefully!
No! He said "monster"!
Anyway, let's go back.
Man, she sure is extreme when it comes to certain things...
"Ryozanpaku"
Did you hear that, Kensei?
Oww...
Just like I predicted, he defeated the leader of the group!
I had absolutely no doubt in mind that you could do it, though!
Oh, right...
Sure. He was so worried about Ken-chan earlier,
he couldn't stop pacing around the house.
I'm sure it was my straight punch and blocks
that came in handy in the fight, right?
What? Y-Yeah, of course...
I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that
is was the striking method that Ma-sensei taught me that just happened to
hit the guy's chin by a fluke...
Huh? Oh yeah, Apachai has been bummed out,
saying that he didn't have time to train you today
because you didn't come home for a long time.
Oh, I'm so sorry, Apachai-san.
I got picked on by this strange group of people on the way back here.
You can give me a special training next time I spend the night here!
That's okay. I was doing my coloring books...
Oh, no...
Didn't I ask you to bring Kenichi Shirahama to me?
It's not what you think, Kisara!
I accidentally ran into him on the street, so I was going to bring him over here!
But he's got this girlfriend with a big forehead and a nice body.
So, I got a little jealous and thought that I should kick his ass for it.
But this big-foreheaded girl turned out to be a monster and-
What is he talking about?
Beats me...
At any rate, Kisara-sama's orders are absolute.
Takeda, you three make sure to do whatever it takes
to bring Kenichi Shirahama to her.
Understood?
Got it.
I'm telling you! She's a monster! That big-foreheaded girl-
Kenichi Shirahama... Sounds like there's more to this guy than I thought.
Too slow! Don't think of defense and offense separately!
Use your entire body to learn two moves as one form!
Damn! You're not getting any better at all, are you?
I thought you defeated the leader of the gang group
with the technique I taught you!
Actually that's not what happened... That was simply...
Hey, Miu, next time you notice his guard is too soft,
just go ahead and kill him!
Sakaki-san...
I'm so sorry... I'm such a slow learner!
That's right. Kenichi, you make a circle there, then take Miu's hand.
Oh, the hand you've got on her upper arm is weak!
Normally, you would pull on that upper arm and drag her backwards, but...
If you don't have a firm grasp there...
- Miu. - Yes.
That's what happens.
Well, you can take your time and learn.
Am I hopeless? I haven't made any progress?
I don't think that's the case at all!
There he is!
Apaaaaa!
Stay away from me!
My throwing deities...
What are those?
Kenichi-kun's fear must've ignited Apachai's wild side... I think...
Well, I guess that's a good training as well.
He can get a feel for many of Apachai's techniques that way.
I see. Observing is also a part of training, huh?
Go away!
This is not good... I haven't made any progress lately...
I know better than anyone that what happened then was just a fluke.
You don't need to be so depressed about it.
Kenichi-san, I know you have been working very hard.
Are you trying to make me feel better?
Yes.
Miu-san is a very honest person, so she never lies...
That's why I'm really hurt right now...
I'm going to the gardening club.
Oh, no...
According to the latest information,
those three guys aren't the only ones who are after you.
There's one more wild beast that's trying to track you down.
Wh-What is this?
Shirahama-kun...
Yo, Shirahama-kun! Long time no see!
Y-You are...
Have you been working your muscles?
Daimonji-kun!
Here!
How could you do this?
We haven't settled our last fight properly.
I can't accept that you beat me by a fluke!
Besides, you beat sub-captain Tsukuba, didn't you?
Now, I wonder how I'd look if I defeated the one that defeated the sub captain,
who's the strongest in the karate club!
I am number one!
And if it all goes well, they'll let me join the Ragnarok!
I don't give a damn about your stupid plan!
First, I want you to release Izumi-san!
Only if you promise not to run away!
I won't run away.
Fine!
Now, you answer me this. Why did you do this to the plants?
Plants?
I am asking you a question! Answer me!
We had nothing better to do while we were waiting for you. That's all!
That's awful!
But don't you worry! Your favorite is still alive!
But why would you want to grow some pathetic little plant like this?
Stop it!
The ones that are no good are just not good
no matter how much effort you put into them!
You'd feel much better if you destroy it at once!
Shut up!
Huh? When did he... You son of a...
N-No way! He moved in a split second!
D-Die!
Unbelievable...
I'm sorry... It's all my fault!
Let's clean it up.
We need to re-pot the ones that still can be saved.
O-Okay.
Oh, this orchid is not going to make it.
This is terrible...
I'm sorry, Snowball King!
But let's re-pot it for now.
A few days later...
Shirahama-kun!
Izumi-san?
Look at this! There's a new leaf coming out!
You did it, buddy!
You're small, but you've got persistence of a heavy weight!
I guess an orchid that grows slowly but with a thick stem is a lot more durable
than an orchid that grows fast and thin!
That's right.
Just because it may be slow at growing,
it doesn't mean that it shows no progress at all.
I saw all of Daimonji-kun's moves like they were in slow motion.
It may only be in small steps, but clearly I am improving for sure!
I can do this!
Be careful!
Kenichi-san, you sure are fired up!
Yes!
I'm going to work as hard as I can just like my Snowman King!
"Snowman"?
Even if it's hidden by rain
The sun must be there
I had even lost a dream
I will never forget the smile that gave me courage
I keep on believing because I have you
Light starts flowing out of my heart
Just like a flower with no name on the street
When I stumble and fall
I will get up on my own
Those Ragnarok guys are getting more and more extreme day by day!
They even had some weapons today.
There's no way I can go up against them bare-handed.
So what am I supposed to do?
Although Shigure-san told me she'd show me how to deal with weapons,
but I bet I'll end up something crueler than the Ragnarok itself!
I'm scared!! I don't wanna do this!
Kenichi, don't be scared. Or you'll lose what's above your neck.
Help me!